Non-toxic Cleaners Safer For The Home

The easiest way to begin the transformation to a non-toxic home is by replacing cleaning products like ammonia and disinfectant and all the other heavy-duty chemicals we use to maintain our homes.

The replacement products are simple and inexpensive. In fact, most cleaning jobs can be done quite well using natural materials you probably already have in your kitchen.

Non-toxic cleaning requires very few specialized ingredients. I do all my cleaning with a squirt bottle of vinegar and water mixed half-and-half, liquid soap and a can of non-chlorine scouring powder, available at most supermarkets and hardware stores. It couldn`t be simpler.

You might need a few more items, though, to accomplish your specific cleaning needs. Here are some natural substances you might want to have on hand: baking soda, salt, distilled white vinegar, lemon juice and trisodium phosphate, also known as TSP.

The makers of TSP create it by mixing soda ash (a naturally occurring mineral) and phosphoric acid (made by heating phosphate rock) to form disodium phosphate, and then adding caustic soda (made by reacting naturally occurring minerals). TSP is moderately toxic by ingestion and is a minor skin irritant, but the big advantage of using it is that it doesn`t produce toxic fumes. Keep TSP out of children`s reach, and use gloves while cleaning with it. It is widely available in hardware and paint stores.

Let`s take a closer look at the dangers of some common cleaning products and how we can tackle these same cleaning chores with natural substances.

DRAIN CLEANERS

The primary component of drain cleaners is lye, an extremely corrosive material that can eat right through skin. Even a drop spilled on your skin or a dry crystal that falls on wet skin can cause damage. The internal damage may be irreparable for those who survive lye poisoning. Lye itself poses no danger by inhalation, but in liquid drain cleaners lye is mixed with volatile chemicals that can release harmful vapors.

What you can do: For all the dangers, lye-based drain cleaners really are not very effective. My favorite drain-opener is the handy-dandy plunger -- you can buy one that lasts for years for practically nothing at any hardware store. True, at times it takes more than a few plunges, but usually the clog will break down and float away eventually.

If this doesn`t work, lye won`t work either, so call a plumber. He or she will bring a long, flexible metal snake and push the clog away.

These simple measures plus regular use of one of these non-toxic methods will keep drains open or clear sluggish drains before they become full-fledged clogs:

Pour one handful baking soda and 1/2-cup white vinegar down the drainpipe and cover tightly for one minute. The chemical reaction between the two substances will form a fizzy pressure in the drain and dislodge any obstructive matter. Rinse with hot water.

Pour 1/2-cup salt and 1/2-cup baking soda or two tablespoons trisodium phosphate down the drain, followed by lots of hot water.

AMMONIA AND OTHER ALL-PURPOSE CLEANERS

Ammonia is great for attacking household grease and grime, but it also attacks the skin -- rashes, redness and chemical burns during exposure are common. Because it is a very volatile chemical, its fumes are extremely irritating to eyes and lungs.

What you can do: You can create your own all-purpose cleaning solutions by mixing various natural substances together. You`ll want to create your own proportions and combinations, depending on the job. Start by mixing one teaspoon of any one or more of the following into one quart warm or hot water in a spray bottle or bucket: TSP (use for heavy duty cleaning), liquid soap or borax. Add a squeeze of lemon juice of splash of vinegar to cut grease. You`ll soon find which combinations work best for your own cleaning needs.

MOLD AND MILDEW CLEANERS

Mold and mildew cleaners may contain phenol, kerosene or pentachlorophenol, all of which may be harmful through skin absorption or inhalation, or fatal if swallowed. These products may also contain formaldehyde, suspected of causing cancer in humans and a strong irritant to eyes, throat, skin, and lungs.

What you can do: You can make your own mold and mildew cleaner by mixing borax and water or vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray it on and the mold wipes right off. Borax also inhibits mold growth, so you might try washing down the walls in your bathroom with a borax solution and just leaving it on, or sprinkling borax in damp cabinets under the sink.

GERM-KILLING DISINFECTANTS

Disinfectants contain a number of volatile chemicals that are dangerous to inhale. The ingredient most frequently found in disinfectants is cresol, a chemical easily absorbed through the skin and through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Cresol can cause damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas and spleen, and can also affect the central nervous system, resulting in such common symptoms as depression, irritability and hyperactivity.